Summary: There were 3lives changed that night but accepting has been harder than adapting.

Author's Note: Short one-shot for now. AU most definitely.

Chapter: Swallow Me Whole

Best friends since childhood… They grew up together; the wood fence separating their yards had a loose board. The same board they kept loosening when one of their Father's fixed it until they got caught sneaking into each other's yards. When they got too big to squeeze through the hole the arch was installed and a short swinging door just to keep the pretence of privacy between neighbors. … …

"…that's because I'm awesome and you weren't there to screw up the plan."

"Me?" Baxter frowned, took his eyes off the road only to have a small hand push his face towards the windshield.

"Yeah, you. Now watch the road or we'll never make it to your cousins wedding." Bailey ordered, grinning at his annoyance.

"I'm not the one who failed drivers ed." Baxter shot back. Her reaction didn't disappoint.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "It wasn't my fault!"

They'd bicker, they'd argue, they'd fight and in the same span of time they'd be okay. Just like that. Simple. Their parents couldn't figure it out and they didn't interfere. That never went well.

One close call. After that … well, they went back to their antics, lulled into a false security now the danger was past.

There was never an explanation; nothing that made sense of the disaster that changed their lives. The sounds, the smells, the pain ….

Stars.

Bailey felt as though she was a cartoon character that got bopped on the head and little stars formed a crown.

Ridiculous, unrealistic …

"Baxter?" she winced, her voice coming out in a whisper of breath.

They'd spun out, hit a dip over the side of the road, flipped over and landed wrong side up. Broken glass crunched under her back as she moved, trying to sit up or roll onto her side- she wasn't sure yet and so she flailed.

"…Oh, fuck…" Baxter moaned, the deployed bag registered and the fact he was hanging upside down… "Dad's gonna kill me …" he muttered reaching to his seat belt. "Bay?" he couldn't see her, just her feet; the black and white chucks with the silver stars he'd doodled into the black canvas when he'd been bored-

"What the hell, Baxter?" Bailey grumbled, she finally rolled onto her side and grabbed the back of his seat exclaiming as the pain in her wrist flared to life. It throbbed with a life of its own.

"You okay?" Baxter demanded still fighting with his seatbelt.

She cradled her hand to her chest and reached across with her other hand to pull herself up into a sitting position. "You're hanging from your seat." Bailey scowled. "Are you ok?"

"Fan-fucking-tastic." Baxter grunted giving a harsh tug on the belt that released him unexpectedly.

"Baxter…!" Bailey grabbed his shoulder, the laugh spilling from her lips at his curses and from fear and the pain in her wrist.

He was there, scowling at her like he did whenever she annoyed him… He was gone- yanked away from her grasping hands before she could get a grip on his shirt, his arm, his hand…

"BAXTER!"

It tears out of her- a scream of fear and loss because something in her knows… he's gone. He's been taken from her. Stolen…

But he screams. It's him and she knows he's in pain; she hears it and doesn't realize she's still screaming for him as she tries to crawl out the front of the overturned SUV. That glass cuts through the sleeve of her windbreaker and gouges into her skin leaving smears of blood.

It's a long drive. One she promised herself she would make one day.

It's taken three years… three long years suffering nightmares, changes … it's a sort of hell Bailey has grown used to. Acceptance…? She doesn't think it's going to be possible but Baxter nagged and nagged until she wanted to kill him for real.

The road is wet; it stopped raining an hour ago. The sky is gray, dark clouds still hovering on the horizon… its nothing like that night.

"Try it and you're gonna lose that hand, Bax."

"Try what?"

She laughs and reaches grabbing at the bottom bag and tugging. "Smacking my ass. You still can't fake the innocent 'what'."

"Whoa," Baxter is grinning and trying hard to disguise that fact. "I'm not faking! I swear-."

Baxter has a second to wonder what the hell is streaking across the road when the crunch of metal takes over. He tries to brake but it's not going to save them from pain.

Bailey is thrown hard, the crunch of metal, squeal of tires on wet asphalt…

Bailey blinks and she's back in the present. Once again … it happens a lot-more recently which is why she's driving this cursed road. Mile marker 54 registers and she starts to slow the car. At marker 58 Bailey pulls off the road onto gravel coasting to a stop on the grass.

Bailey screams. She back pedals clumsily and the lockbox smacks into her knee with a dulling thud. She grabs it with her good hand and swings at the monstrous face and fetid fangs snapping at her. The blow jars her arm and the box snaps open.

The shiny piece of metal lands among the glittering bits of glass covered in rain and blood. There's no lock, why should there when the box had been enough precaution.

She's sitting there, gripping the steering wheel with the soft squelch of the windshield wipers lazily wiping the accumulation of raindrops away.

The claw swipes quickly towards her and she feels the sting on her thing. It howls, pain and rage but the echo of the gunshot in the SUV is almost deafening. Tears run down her face and she's still calling out to him, for Baxter.

She closes her eyes to drag in a sobbing breath and that enough. The harsh pinch of her flesh turns to unimaginable pain. She yanked half out of the SUV by her arm, wrist numbing even more she thinks maybe it's torn off.

She's kept the gun clutched in her fingers; presses the muzzle against fur and shoots point blank. Her fingers squeezing the trigger in tandem with her screams even though it clicks empty.

Its late afternoon and she's staring at the place where their lives changed. The spot where a beast ran them off the road. Where Baxter's nightmare began. This place that has changed Bailey forever.

Hesitation.

It breeds regret.

There's a car coming down the road. The flash of lights registers through his pain. It's time to cut his loss.

Bailey calls for Baxter, her voice a harsh croak lodged in her throat. Crying and hurt, she drags herself along the wet muddy ground looking for him while the car stops. They're asking if anyone is hurt.

There's so much blood…

He's been watching from across the road, standing among the trees. She's come back. Finally. The one that stubbornly stayed away.

Melissa keeps a close eye on the kids brought in to her ER. A bad accident and the boy has slipped into a coma. The trauma to his body… she's not sure what can be done for him but the girl hasn't said a word or stopped crying. It's a silent pain, as though she's forcibly keeping it inside- a punishment?

Peter crosses the road.

Bailey hears him. She can barely control her wolf. She knows he kept her from sleeping. Nightmares- a call from him but she wasn't about to leave Baxter.

"What?" her voice is smooth though her tone is harsh. She doesn't bother turning to face him.

"I'm admiring the view." Peter replies easily. He's seen her enough in his mind, bits here and there and she's as beautiful as he'd imagined she would be.

"I know how to kill you."

"Threats…" Peter scoffs at her words. Still, there's a note of admiration-

"It's a promise." She finally turns to him. "You took-."

"I gave you a gift." Peter cuts in, the smile wiped from his face.

"You didn't plan on it. We were chew toys for you!" she screams. Her voice echoes among the lonely road and dewy trees.

It's a western draw, both standing there, facing each other without a word said. The wind picks up and flutters her inky hair.